Director of the Protein Expression Core

Research Scientist, Scientific Core

Research Interests

I am the Director, and actively work in, the Wadsworth Center Protein Expression Core where I express and purify proteins in E.coli, insect and mammalian expression systems. I specialize in finding conditions for expression of soluble protein in E.coli. I have expressed and purified over 150 proteins.

My graduate and postdoctoral studies focused on the biochemical function of enzymes involved in folate metabolism. Particularly the enzyme γ-glutamyl hydrolase. This enzyme is involved in folate metabolism and catabolizes antifolate drugs such as methotrexate. DNA and protein variants of this enzyme are implicated in drug resistance, toxicity and clinical outcome in cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.

Select Publications

Chave KJ.

Gamma-glutamyl-Hydrolase.

"Handbook of Proteolytic Enzymes".

(2013)

(3rd Edition, Academic Press):

2453-2458.

Eisele LE, Chave KJ, Lehning AC, Ryan TJ.

Characterization of Human gamma-glutamyl hydrolase in solution demonstrates that the enzyme is a non-dissociating homodimer.